Hostess Gifts

It's that time of year again. The holidays are almost upon us and we will be celebrating with family and friends. Whether it's a casual get together or a formal dinner, bringing a hostess gift to thank the host/hostess is a thoughtful gesture. One that begs the question - What to get as a gift?

Traditional hostess gifts include chocolates, flowers and wine. Who doesn't love chocolates? The trend these days is to go for dark chocolate. There are many different brands to choose from, with Hershey's jumping into the race as well. Personal favorites include Guittard and Perugina brand chocolates.

Giving flowers these days is not recommended. This is because it may require the hostess having to search for a vase for the flowers, instead of welcoming guests. Still keen on giving flowers? Send them the day before or after the party. I love giving flowers from Calyx and Corolla.

I love to get wine as a hostess gift! It allows me to try a new wine that I might not have thought to pick up. Right now I love ice wines. Ice wine is made from very ripe grapes that were allowed to freeze on the vine. The resulting wine is very sweet and acidic. Another wine that I love to drink is Pinot Noir. My favorite is the Bear Boat Pinot Noir. It has a lot of buttery oak and is just a fabulous treat!

Looking to give something out of the ordinary? Give scented lotions, soaps or candles. If you don't know the hostess' preference, anything in vanilla is always a good buy. Music CD's, think Starbuck's compilation, or a cookbook by a hot author like Ina Garten, are also interesting options.

I love the idea of giving a basket filled with pancake mix, maple syrup, and roasted coffee beans or tea for the hosts to share for breakfast! A basket of muffins or a loaf of bread make another yummy hostess gift. I basket of flavored coffees, teas and flavored syrups is another great idea.

Here's my favorite pancake recipe. Just whip it up, place in a decorative jar and give with a gift tag.

Best Pancake Mix

1 ¼ cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt

Gift tag should read: To make pancakes: add 2 beaten eggs, 5 Tablespoons melted butter, and 1 cup milk to the mix. Stir only until moistened.


Here's a tip to be a gracious guest: Be sure to let you host or hostess know that any food or wine brought does not have to be used during the event.

Now let the merrymaking begin!

Crystal Ball Craft

I hosted a Halloween party last night for my daughter's Brownie troop. Who knew that 8 screaming girls could be so loud? The opening activity was dipping pretzel rods in melted chocolate and sprinkling them with colored sugar and candies. This was a great activity to do as the new girls arrived, they replaced the girls that were finishing up their pretzel rods.

We had two crafts. I broke the girls into 2 groups to make it more manageable for the adults to provide hands on supervision. The first group decorated treat bags with stickers and stamps. You could go all out and use foamies, paints, etc.

The second group made crystal balls using glass ornament balls, Styrofoam disposable bowls and paint. We used lime green, orange, white and purple. I flipped the bowl upside down and made an X on the bottom. Then, I placed the ornament upside down into the X to secure the ball. Ta-Dah - instant crystal ball! The girls painted the outside of their balls in different colors and patterns. You could also squirt the paint inside the balls and swirl them together. (The colors were opaque when painted on the surface of the ornaments) These were a big hit.

We had Witches Brew for our punch. This is a simple recipe using 7-UP and Edy's Orange Sherbert. Combine the 2 ingredients and they magically foam up! The girls really loved it. Another idea is to use orange juice and squirt red food coloring down the sides of the glass, so that the drink looks like it is dripping blood.

I didn't take the time to whip up an elaborate meal for the girls. It was just pizza and breadsticks with the Witches Brew for drinks. The party was easy, simple, and a lot of fun!

Halloween Makeup

Draculas, Goblins, Mummy's - Oh My! Here's a few Halloween Make Up recipes that will liven up your costumes. Be sure to test the recipes out the day before to check for allergic reactions.

Fake Blood
Here's a recipe for fake blood that will ooze and drip like the real thing.

• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot water
• 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
• 15-20 drops red food coloring

Mix cocoa and hot water. Add in the corn syrup and stir well. Mix in the food coloring. Mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Freaky Flesh
Here's a recipe to create flesh wounds.

• 3 Tablespoons oatmeal
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1 Tablespoon Elmer's Glue
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Mix all ingredients until a thick paste forms. Apply mixture to clean, dry skin with a spatula or popsicle stick. Let the mixture dry 15 minutes. Use immediately, it does not store well.

Scars and Scabs
This recipe will make realistic scars, scabs and wrinkles on your skin.

• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin mix (Knox)
• 1 Tablespoon hot water
• Red food coloring

Stir gelatin and hot water until the gelatin dissolves. Let the mixture cool until it thickens. Apply to clean and dry skin. To make a scab, scar or burn, apply a thick layer on your skin and add 1-2 drops of food coloring to make the wound look fresh. You can also use makeup over the mixture for this mixture will harden quickly so work fast. Use immediately, it does not store well.

Pumpkin Decorating

With Halloween right around the corner, it's time to decorate with pumpkins. Pumpkin carving has come a long way from using just a knife and spoon. Today there are carving tool sets being sold at Target and Wal-Mart, to specialty stores online. These include sets made with child safety in mind to power tools for the more experienced carver. There are free patterns galore on the Web, but I like the ones found at The Pumpkin Wizard.

Don't want to carve a pumpkin? Let the inner artist in you out! Pick your colors and brushes and start painting. Googly eyed monsters, haunted houses, and black cats from your imagination will find new life painted on your pumpkins.

Pumpkins can serve as a vase for a pot of mums as well. Just cut a hole the size of your pot and scoop out the seeds. Place your pot in your pumpkin and you've created an instant centerpiece.

Five Kitchen Must Haves

1. Kitchenaid Blender
2. Kitchenaid Food Processor
3. Baking Stone
4. Silpat
5. Cookie Press and Decorating Set
   

Five Great Cookbooks for the Bride

1. How to Cook Meat by Christopher Schlesinger
2. Vegetables by James Peterson
3. Fix It and Forget It by Dawn J. Ranck
4. Eating Stella Style by George Stella
5. Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen
   

Bridal Shower Ideas

Having recently had my 15th anniversary, I realized how much I love fall weddings. Celebrate the Perfect Couple with a Kitchen themed bridal shower.

This can be an interactive party where guests can show the new bride their special tricks of the trade such as how to crimp a pie crust(this skill still eludes me, so I usually do a rustic pie crust) and how to slice and dice like a pro.

Bridal Shower Games

Herb or Spice? Cover spice and herb jar labels and have guests try and identify the contents. Label the top and keep a master list to tell which spice or herb is inside.

Name that Chef Have guests guess the identity of celebrity chefs by their catch phrases.

• Bam! - Emeril Lagasse
• Kickin' it up a notch - Emeril Lagasse
• Yum-O! - Rachel Ray
• EVVO - Rachel Ray
• Good Eats! - Alton Brown
• I gar-un-tee - Justin Wilson
• It's a good thing - Martha Stewart
• Allez! Cusinine! - Iron Chef
• Live, Love, Eat - Wolfgang Puck
• Best dishes from my house to yours - Paula Deen
• Semi-homemade gourmet - Sandra Lee
• Bon Apetit - Julia Childs
• I want Four Beautiful Risottos - Gordon Ramsey
• Very simple, very simple - Martin Yan
• Yan can cook - Martin Yan
• East meets West - Ming Tsai
• No soup for you! - Seinfeld soup nazi

How Many Chefs? Have your guests list as many celebrity chefs as possible in 60 seconds.

Whats this for? You will receive some surprising answers to when guess try to discover the use for some unusual kitchen gadgets. Check out local antique shops, second hand shops Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, and Cooking.com to find these unique kitchen tools. The gadgets can then become the prizes for your party games.

Great party favors for a kitchen themed party include cookie cutters, mini-whisks, silicone spatulas, refridgerator magnets, microplane graters, and wooden spoons.

Recipes Be sure to have your guests give a copy of their favorite recipe to the new bride. Mail out recipe cards with the bridal shower invite or have the guests email their recipe to you. After receiving the recipes, create a recipe book that the new bride will cherish.

Halloween Coloring Pages

Start your Halloween party off in a ghoulish manner! As each guest arrives have them pick out a Halloween coloring page. All your warriers and witches will love these coloring and activity pages filled with monsters, skeletons, and ghosts.

Top 5 Apple Recipes

• Apple Pie
• Apple Crisp
• Applesauce
• Wassail
• Apple Butter

Apple Pie
6 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons water
1 box Pillsbury pie crusts
Oven at 375 degrees F. Pour prepared apples into unbaked pie shell. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and water. Stir until smooth. Pour over apples. Cover with top crust. Seal edges. Bake for 1 hour.

Apple Crisp
2 cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
2 quarts apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl combine flour, oats and spices. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Take half of the mixture and pat into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Layer apples in the pan, then top with remaining crumb topping. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until apples are tender. Serve warm.

Applesauce
4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until apples are soft. After the sauce cools, mash the apples. Store in the refrigerator.

Wassail
2 quarts Apple Cider
1 pint Cranberry Juice
1 teaspoon Allspice
3/4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Orange

Slice the orange and stud with cloves. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4-8 hours. You can double the recipe to fit in a large pot.

Apple Butter
5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced
4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt